RHG Magazine & TV Guide TM - Summer 2018 © All rights reserved.
Do you ever look at your life and wonder “how did I get here?” What did you dream about doing when you were a kid? Look around at your life right now. Do you see anything of those dreams today?
When I was in high school, we were assigned to write a research paper on three careers we were interested in pursuing. I wrote about going to college to study acting, becoming a famous actress who could do comedy and drama with ease, was a darling of the London and New York stage and had conquered the silver screen along with television. I wrote about becoming an accomplished dancer who traveled the world performing for sold out crowds at every venue. I wrote about writing stories that touched the hearts of those who read my words and writing in exotic parts of the world.
In elementary school, it was ok to say you wanted to be an astronaut or a ballerina. That was cute. This time around we were older and supposed to be thinking about serious stuff like jobs, being responsible and the rest of our lives. I wrote about being an actress, a dancer or a writer.
Although neatly typed and turned in on time, I received a C+ for the project because my career choices were judged unrealistic. I was a shy, quiet 15-year-old-girl in a small
Midwestern farming community. How could I possibly aspire to be an actress, a
dancer, or a writer for that matter? I had never taken a dance lesson or showed any particular talent for the stage. My writing was confined to my journals and never shared with anyone.
With small steps, I had started challenging myself to follow my dreams. Speech class just about gave me heart failure. I actively participated in class and took part in the school district Speech contest for extra credit. I even managed to be part of the cast of six in our class play, The Spiral Staircase and didn’t die before, during or after any of the five performances.
I never gave up my dreams of what I believed my future could hold. When we are persistent and consistent, we can rewrite our story to achieve our dreams.
True, sometimes they don’t look exactly the way we thought they would. They are better!
Getting back to the question I posed earlier: how do your dreams relate to your life today? Well, I’m thrilled to report that I am a writer, speaker and workshop facilitator. My passion for writing has blossomed into a career where I use my gifts to inspire others to dive deep into the stories they are meant to share with the world. I dance across stages with graceful (I hope) movements to emphasize the points I am making in my talks. My voice is an instrument to share the message I’ve been given to deliver to the world. I am forever grateful for the gift of the ability to communicate. I call upon my acting skills to bring to life the stories I share about my life and to embody the feelings of the messages contained in those stories.
I am no longer was that shy, insecure country girl who was discouraged from pursuing a writing career because it wasn’t practical. Perhaps not, but writing is something I have to do. Being "the writer" is my staring role. It defines who I am personally, professionally and spiritually.
Your dreams matter because they are your dreams and you are the star of your life.
Follow your dreams and allow your star to shine bright!
|23 |
Dream Your Big Dreams and Be a Star in Your Life